News Releases 2013

LETU School of Education Recommended for ACSI Accreditation

Mon, Apr 15 2013

LeTourneau University’s School of Education has been recognized among outstanding college and universities that train educators for private, Christian schools, following its recent recommendation for accreditation by a visiting team of the Association of Christian Schools International. ACSI is the world’s largest community of Christian educators dedicated to providing a Christ-centered education.

A three-member team from ACSI visited the LETU campus last week for four days of interviewing students, faculty and staff, as well as advisory council members to determine if the School of Education met the criteria.The visiting team’s recommendation goes to the ACSI Accreditation Commission which will issue the formal recognition later in the year.

The accreditation of LETU’s teacher preparation program by the Higher Education Approval Program of ACSI will provide LETU graduates with a recognized international certification qualifying them to work in private, Christian schools worldwide.

Other benefits to LETU also include live and on-demand professional development, peer-to-peer networking, consultation from educational leaders and global awareness and presence.

“For our students outside of Texas and outside the United States, this credentialing gives them international recognition which they can take wherever God leads them to teach,” said Dr. Wayne Jacobs, LETU’s dean of Education. “LETU being listed in ACSI materials can help bring in new students who are good candidates for our program, which is well-aligned with the faith and mission of ACSI.

ACSI is a Protestant, interdenominational Christian educational organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., that seeks to advance excellence in Christian schools by enhancing professional and personal development of Christian educators.ACSI has 120 member Christian colleges and universities in addition to over 23,000 member schools from preschool to grade 12.

Jacobs said LETU shares the core beliefs of ACSI.

“We treasure the Word of God and believe it should be taught; that academic excellence is crucial; and that qualified professional educators should partner with highly involved parents to give students a quality education,” Jacobs said. “We understand the importance of critical thinking, professional development, and the need for schools to consistently be involved in assessment in order to improve.”

For the past seven years, LETU produced more classroom teachers than any private university in the state of Texas.